Voting booth



- 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. W. HINE.

VOTING BOOTH.

(N9 Model.)

No. 510,427. Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

JgW. HINE. VOTING BOOTH.

'No. 510,427. Y Patented Dec. 12, 1893.

ww 0 Q QYZMM attomw m5 NATIONAL umocrmmma coma" UNITED STATES PATENTJAMES W. HINE, or JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE FENTON METALLICMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

VOTING- BOOTH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,427, dated December12, 1893.

Application filed August 8, 1892. Serial No. 442,470. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES W. HINE, a citizen of the United States,residing at J amestown, Ohautauqua county, State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements inVoting-Booths,of whichthe fol lowing is a specification. My invention relates to that class ofbooths intended for the reception of voters as required by what is knownas the Australian ballot system, and my invention consists inconstructing the booth of panels which may be folded to a compact form,or extended and connected to form single or multiple booths as fully setforth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1, represents in perspective the detached sections of asingle booth embodying my lmprovement; Fig. 2, a plan view showing thesections connected; Fig. 3, an edge view showing the sections folded fortransportatlon; Fig. 4, an edge view in which the back panel consists oftwo jointed sections; Fig. 5, a plan view showing the booth erected withthe back panel constructed as in Fig. 4; Fig. 6, an edge view showingtwo booth sections packed together as constructed-in Fig. 4; Fig. 7, aplan view illustrating a multiple booth.

The booth may be either single or multiple, in the latter caseconsisting of a number of the sections constituting the single booth.The single booth consists essentially of two side panels A, A, and aback panel B, the side panels being closed for a greater portion oftheir height, but at the bottom having legs or standards 1, 1, and theback panel being hinged to the rear edge of one of the side panels, sothat it may be turned down against the latter, and so that the otherside panel may be laid flat against the side panel A, for storage, asshown in Fig. 3.

Each of the side panels A, A, consists of a rod or bar of metal bent toform the parallel vertical portions 1, 1 comprising the legs and thetransverse portion 2, and of a connecting bar 3; near the lower end ofthe panel, and to the frame thus made, is applied a sheet of iron, theedges of which are bent around the vertical portions 1, 1, andtransverse portions 2, 3, as shown, so as to form a closed panel abovethe leg portions. At the back edge of the panel, however, the sheet isprovided with tongues 4, which close around portions of the vertical rodat the rear edge, leaving intermediate portions around which closetongues 5, projecting from a sheet of metal stretched over a frame D ofthe back panel B, the said frame consisting of a. bar or rod bent toform the vertical portion 6, and the two horizontal portions 7and 8,around which are bent the edges of the sheet of the panel B, and the endof each portion 7, 8, is flattened and bent into the form of a hook 9,rece'gving the rear vertical portion of the rod of the panel A, andforming a joint which permits the panel B to be swung to and from thepanel A. The back panel is made somewhat smaller than the frame of theside panel, so as to be partially received within the frame of the sidepanel, when the two frames are brought together, and thus will thedesk,when turned to its upward position against the side panel, beinclosed between the metal facings 0r coverings of the frames of the twopanels.

The panel A is formed substantially like the panel A, except that thereare no tongues on the sheet, all the edges of which are bent completelyaround the verticaland horizontal portions of the frame.

It is intended when the booth is erected that the side panels A, A,shall be parallel to each other, and at right angles to the back panel Bas shown in Fig. 2, in which case it is desirable to connect togetherthe meeting edges of the panels A and B. This may be done in anysuitable manner,one means consistingof pintles 10, upon one of thepanels entering eye-tubes 12, on the other as shown, thus forming ahinged joint.

In order to hold the parts in place when in the position shown in Fig.2, I make use of a brace E, of suitable form hinged to one of thesections, and adapted to be turned down flat against the latter forstorage,or turned up to a horizontal position, and connected to theother. Such brace is preferably made of a single rod bent to form twohooks 14, 14, which clutch the upper cross bar 2 of the panel A,

so that the brace may be swung down flat I brace further serves tosupport a curtain for closing the chamber of the booth to which endsliding rings 18 may be applied to one of the legs of the brace asshown.

As it is necessary to form a desk in the booth, I prefer to make thesame in the form of a shelf that will aid in bracing the booth. Thus Ibend a sheet of stiff sheet iron so as to form edge flanges 19, 19, anda tubular end extension 20, which may embrace cross rod 21, forming partof the frame of the panel A, so as to permit the shelf or desk I, thusformed to be turned up to the dotted position shown in Fig. 1, or turneddown in the horizontal position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in full lines, inwhich case the shelf or desk extends across the back panel B, andprevents thelatter from swinging inward. The end of the shelf ispreferably connected to the panel A, and an efiective means of securingthis connection is by extendinga portion of the shelf to form a hook ortongue 22, which may enter a slot 23, in the panel A, and engage withthe outer face of that panel, thereby clamping the parts rigidlytogether.

It will be seen that by constructing the panels as above described, theyare made light and strong, that by supporting them by legs extendingbelow the closed part the weight is reduced and at the same timesufficient of the interior is exposed to enable any one from the outsideto know whether the booth is 00- cupied or not, that the parts may be soconnected as to form a sufficiently rigid structure for all purposesrequired, that they may be readily erected into booth form or taken downand reduced to a compact form for stowage, and that the constructionemployed reduces to a minimum, the cost of manufacture while securinggreat durability.

WVhile the back panel B, may be rigid, and of a single section as abovedescribed, it is sometimes desirable to make the back panel of twosections 12, 1), Figs 4 and 5, hinged together at their inner edges, inwhich case each section can be made of a single sheet of stiflf sheetmetal with tongues at the edges interlocking to form the hinge w, and toembrace the vertical rod of the side panel A, or if desired of both sidepanels A, and A. As shown, however, the outer edge of the section b, isformed into hooks y, adapted to temporarily grip the end rod of thepanel A. When the booth with the hinged back panel is erected as shownin Fig. 5, the desk I, extending across the back panel prevents thelatter from bending inward. Then a number of booths are to be packedtogether, two side panels A, with the back panels B, folded inward, maybe arranged as shown, Fig. 6, and the side panels A may be packedagainst the opposite sides.

When there is to be a multiple booth, as sometimes required, this may bereadily formed by connecting together a number of sections A, B, theback panel B, of the first section connecting with the panel A of thenext section,the latter in such case being provided with pintles 10, asshown in dotted lines, Fig. 2, and also having a slot 24;, as shown indotted lines Fig. 1, and answering the same purpose as the slot 23 inthe panel A, and the final booth is completed by the use of a panelA, asshown in diagram, Fig. 7.

Without limiting myself to the precise construction and arrangement ofparts shown, I claim- 1. The combination in a voting booth of the sidepanels A, A, and back panel B, and with the angular brace uniting saidpanels, said brace being formed of separate members having hooksclutching the cross bar of one side panel and having a terminal eyepassing through an opening in the opposite side panel and engaging afinger attached to said latter panel, substantially as described.

2. The combination in a voting booth of the side panels A, and A, andback panel B, the desk hinged to one of said side panels and detachablyconnected with the other, and an angular brace extending between saidside panels and having hooks for clutching the cross bar of one sidepanel and a terminal eye passing through the opposite side panel andengaging a finger, substantially as described.

3. The combination in voting booths of the side panels A, and A, andback panel B, the desk hinged to one of said side panels and formed witha tongue to enter an opening in the other side panel, and an angularbrace having hooks for clutching the cross bar of one side panel andformed with a terminal eye passing through the opposite side panel andengaging a finger thereon, substantially as shown and described.

4. The side panels A and A each consisting of a frame formed of a rodbent to form vertical portions 1, 1, and a transverse portion 2, atransverse rod 3, and a sheet metal covering lapped at the-edges aroundthe vertical and transverse rods, in combinationwith a back panel Bconsisting of a frame D, composed of a rod bent to form the vertical andtransverse portions, the transverse portions flattened at the ends andbent to form hooks embracing the rear vertical portions of the rod ofthe panel A, and a sheet metal covering bent at'the edges around thetransverse and vertical portions of the frame D, substantially as setforth.

5. The combination with the panel of a voting booth, of a deskconsisting of astrip of sheet metal bent at the opposite edges to formflanges 19, 19, and at one end to form atube 20, receiving a cross rodof the panel, and having a tongue 22 at the opposite end, substantiallyas set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES V. I-IINE.

Witnesses:

E. C. MACK, H. W. PRICE.

